What to expect today for budget day

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Good morning,

I would say that I’m excited for draft budget day today, but I don’t have a feeling this year’s budget is going to be particularly cheery. In a memo to council in December, the city’s top bureaucrat said the city is under “unprecedented inflationary pressures” affecting all of its services.

Not great!

I have a feeling Friday’s newsletter is going to be a bit on the grim side, but who knows, maybe today will turn out differently. If you’re into that sort of thing, you can watch the proceedings at city hall on council’s YouTube channel. The police services board presents their draft budget at 8:30 am, and the cull council gets the city budget at 10 this morning.

Let’s get to it.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Wednesday: -7 🌡️ -8 | ❄️ (flurries)

Thursday: -3 🌡️ -28 | ❄️ (flurries)

Friday: -22 🌡️ -31 | ☀️

CITY HALL

It's budget day!

What happened: Budget week kicked off with the board of health tabling its draft budget. This morning the police board will table its budget at 8:30 am, followed by the budget for the whole city at 10 am.

• You can watch live at the City of Ottawa’s YouTube channel.

What to watch for: The city is facing the same inflationary troubles as everyone else. There are also the problems of a huge hole in the transit budget; a paramedic service unable to keep up with the number of calls; crumbling roads; a police force with a new leadership team and a damaged reputation; plus high fuel prices, supply chain slow downs, and construction cost increases.

• With inflation above 6 percent and an upper limit on the tax increase of 2.5 percent, there is very little room to maneuver.

An increase to property taxes of 2.5 percent would mean an increase of $104 for the average urban home, while the average rural home would see an increase of about $85, according to the city.

Public health budget: One of the first draft budgets presented, Ottawa Public Health will increase $1.24 million to $128 million. That’s within the 2.5 percent that was the cornerstone of Sutcliffe’s campaign promises, CTV reported. Only 30 percent ($27 million) of the health unit’s operating budget is covered by the city. The other 70 percent, and all one-time COVID spending, is covered by the province, expected to be $99 million this year.

Have thoughts on the budget? City councillors are leading budget consultations all month across the city. Find out where consultations are in your ward on the city’s website.

OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

⛽️ 147.9: The price of gas per litre is dropping three cents to this today. [CityNews]

💥 2: The number of serious vehicle crashes yesterday morning. One person from each of the crashes was taken to hospital. [CTV]

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OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN

🚧 Residents in Orléans along the route of new LRT construction are complaining of rat infestations, overnight noise, and home damage. [CBC]

🧥 A local retailer in Brockville has been donating items to an outreach program at St. John’s United Church that would have otherwise been thrown out for minor defects. [CTV]

🚨 One person is dead, and another injured, in a Blossom Park stabbing, the first homicide of the year. Ottawa police have arrested a suspect in connection with the killing. [CTV]

🧠 A member of the Kanata Five — who were hit by a driver on March Road in 2009 — has launched a new charity BrainSTRONG to raise awareness for people with an acquired brain injury. [CTV]

🚔 An 18 year old in Eganville was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his mother. [CTV]

🔥 In Barrhaven firefighters put out a wooden fence, which had been engulfed in flames. No one was injured. [CityNews]

CONVOY

Abandoned by the city, residents had to fend for themselves

What happened: Residents were forced to fend for themselves during the convoy because the city, the province, and the federal government all abandoned them. That’s one of the key findings of Part 1 of the Ottawa People’s Commission report on the occupation of the city.

• The report focused on the effect the convoy had on the people of the city, rather than what led to official decisions.

Who they spoke to: The commission heard testimony from more than 200 people, both through live testimony and written submissions. The commission held meetings to hear from not just those who felt the protest was negative, but from people who supported it as well.

The commission said testimony from residents broke down into five key themes:

• The protest was an occupation;

• It was violent;

• Governments and police abandoned residents;

• To make up for official failures, the community mobilized;

• And while in the minority, there was absolutely local support for the convoy.

Hypocrisy: Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah wrote in the report of the hypocrisy of officials, particularly at city hall. She described her “ah-ha moment” as the testimony from lawyer Paul Champ, who sued to get an injunction that directly led to the end of relentless honking by protestors:

• “All the work that Paul and his team put into getting an injunction to end the honking was met with vindictiveness from City of Ottawa officials. It showed a further disconnect of city officials with residents that was intentionally driven by those with political power,” she said.

Over and over again, the four commissioners said they heard from residents of Centretown and other occupied areas about how they were abandoned. Police and bylaw officers did nothing and transit was largely shut down in the core.

Hardest hit: Disabled residents said they were acutely affected. With ParaTranspo not running in occupied areas, many people told the commission they were unable to leave their homes. Prescriptions and groceries had to be picked up by friends and neighbours.

The report drills in on this hopeful note of the convoy. When everyone else seemed to abandon them, the people of the community came together to help one another. Sharing food, running errands for those who couldn’t, forming safety walks to move in groups for those who felt vulnerable. People came together to get through the crisis.

You can read the full report, What We Heard, at the commission’s website.

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

Ever think to yourself, “I don’t think my house is yellow enough”? Well, folks, do we have the solution for you. This house is yellow. But this Tuscan-style home is just steps from Dow’s Lake, so it might even check two of your must-haves.

Check the listing to see the price.

THE AGENDA

🚂 It’s not your imagination running away with you, the LRT really is running slower because of snow build up along the line. [CTV]

⛺️ A court ruling blocking the city of Kitchener from evicting people from an encampment because there aren’t enough shelter beds could set a precedent across the country. [CBC]

💔 After 73 years of marriage, a couple in their 90s have been separated for months in two different homes because keeping couples together isn’t a priority of the system. [CBC]

🚕 Taxi drivers in the city are closely watching a lawsuit against the city alleging the drivers were treated unfairly when Uber was allowed to move in — making the value of their mandatory taxi plates almost worthless overnight. [CBC]

🏛️ Federal Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi, who represents downtown Ottawa, is considering running for leadership of the provincial Liberals. [CBC]

💥 Members of the Ukrainian community are concerned local charity Mriya Aid may not be providing the promised equipment to the war effort. [Ottawa Citizen]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The arrival of the convoy wasn’t bad for everyone, this Reddit user was able to adopt a dog abandoned by one of the protestors. [Reddit]

• Looking for some high-quality Italian food, without breaking the bank? Our food editor Ralf has found just the spot.

• What once was Babylon Nightclub on Bank is now…a Dollarama. Sad days. [Twitter]

• The Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Task Force is looking for public feedback on how to bring the core back to life. [OBJ]

• Some Algonquin College students are looking to hear from recent homebuyers for a survey. [Reddit]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Contact our partnership team for more info.

WINTER

Will the cold snap come in time for Winterlude?

What happened: With this week’s bitter cold, the NCC is hoping it can get the Rideau Canal open to skating in time for Winterlude. The ice needs to be at least 30 cm thick to open up.

• “Up until now, the weather has been too mild to build safe ice. This week, we will be flooding the ice surface every evening. Our teams are working relentlessly to safely open a section of the #RideauCanal Skateway,” the NCC said on Twitter.

Going down: Temperatures are forecast to get as low as -31 C this week, according to Environment Canada. It’s possible the cold snap could allow the ice to thicken enough to be safe for skaters.

Festival season: Winterlude is scheduled to open on Friday, ending Feb. 20. Two events have already been cancelled because of the marmer-than-usual weather this winter, according to the Ottawa Citizen. The Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival was supposed to have races this weekend but was cancelled because of uncertainty over ice conditions.

• Last weekend, the Carleton Cup triathlon, which would have included a skating portion, had to be cancelled because of the closed Canal.

SPORTS

🥇 Sens forward Claude Giroux was named the NHL’s first star of the week, with four goals and three assists. [The Canadian Press]

🏈 The Redblacks re-signed defensive back Money Hunter, and are hoping to resign several other veteran players in the coming weeks. [Ottawa Sun]

⚽️ Former Canadian national Karl Ouimette has signed with Atlético Ottawa on a two-year contract.

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to Adam, Irenka, Chantal, and Voula who all knew that the latest the Canal has ever opened for skating was Feb. 2, 2002. Tomorrow, if it’s not open, it will be tied for the latest-ever opening. Fingers crossed we don’t break the record!

This week for the OttawaGuesser, we’re wondering if you know where this is. The first five people to respond get their names mentioned in the newsletter.

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